Hopper car and the like



Dec. 1, 1925. 1,553,553

A. CAMPBELL v HOPPER CAR AND THE LIKE Filed May 14, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Yl-s 61mm I034 TTOR NE Y INVENTOR.

BY Gwyn? l5 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STA'lEfd ARGYLE CAMPBELL, E CHICAGO, IILINQIS, ASSIG'IE'IOR T0 ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHECAGO, ILLINOIS, A CQEPORA'IEON OF ILLINOIS.

HOPPER CAR AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 14-, 1924-.

To (1!! whom it may concern lie it lznoun that I, lino-Yin CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago in the county oi Cook and State of l linois have invented a certain new and useful lmprovcn'ient in Hopper Cars and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hopper cars and the like.

An object of the intention is to provide a 10:21 discharging car suitable for discharging; its entire load either between the rails, or to t sides thereof or partially to one side and tially to the other side of the rails.

A turthcr object oi? the invention is to Mi Mi provide in car of the character indicated additional means on the exterior of the car whereby the adaptability and usefulness of the car in discharging its load, is extended, and which will render such a car particularly useful for ballast service.

A further object of my invention is to providc a car having center and side dump doors so arranged that the dumping doors may 0e conveniently and Lately operated troni trans 'orscly extending, shafts operating; other shafts extending; longitudinall ot the car and suitably connected With the doors in tho novel manner hereiiui'ttcr d scribed.

The invention Furthermore consists in the improven'ients in the parts and devices and in the novel con'ibinations of the parts and devices herein shown, described or claimed.

111 the drawings, forming; a part of this specification, Figure l is a side. elevational View ot the central portion or that portion contained between the sloping; floors of a hopper showing; my in'uiu'ovements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a onlargeil transverse vertical, sectional View taken through the car, corresponding substantially to lino of l ip'uri' i. l re .l is a horizontal, sectional view (mi-respondi n substantially to line S-l of Figure l F1 ure 4 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view corresponding: substantially to line l zl of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a transverse, sectional View through the cross-beaui corl spending substantially to line 5 5 ot Fig?- ure 4E.

In said drawings eh);

denote the si 1" Serial m. 713,132.

of the car, TEE-J3 the sloping end Walls, and C the centcrsill construction which, in the form shown comprises a plurality of channels --10 and a cover plate 11 forming a girder-like striizcture. intermediate the sloping; end Walls the car is provided with a hopper section which, as shown, consists of tour hoppers l), longitudinally arranged in pairs on each do of the center sill, the hoppers being separated from each "other by the tltllSVf-l :ely extending crossbeam E con sisting of two sets of inclined shedding plates l9-l9 disposed on either side of the centers ll (l and united together by means of a l ang ed, vertical member 13 extending; across the plane of the centersill and united directly thereto by means ot brackets Eilective connection is made between the crossbean'i (and side wall A of the car by means of gusset members 15 which are secured directly to the Walls, and by means of angle members 16 which are secured to the Wall and the respective gussetmembers. A direct connection between each gusset member 15 and the member 13 is eli'ected by means of a series of rivets 17 and also by means of the inclined shedding plates l2-12 which a: secured directly to the gussets 15 at 18 and to the vertical member at 19, there by giving a continuous beam of great strength extending between the side Walls of the car and oneo'f sutlici-ent strength to i'i'zillSll'lli? the load from the center sill to the deep side girders A, of the car. Said inclined sheets 12 are extended downwardly in a transverse, vertical plane as indicated at 20, each forming one end Wall of one or" the hoppers D, the opposite wall of each hopper being formed by the corresponding portion of one of the sloping end floors B and the cor esponding transversely entendii vertical plate 21 depending therefrom. its most clearly shown in Figure 3, each hopper is provided with an outer downward- 1 r and inwardly inclined bottom sheet 22 and a l inner, downwardly and outwardly inclined bottom sheet 533, said bottom sheets 2 and '23 forming substantially half of the bottom of the hoppers. The remaining portions of the hopper bottoms are formed by side dumping hinged doors F and center dumping hinge doors G, the former being hinged along their upper edges substantially at the lower rlges of the hopper sheets 22, as indicated at 24, the lower edge of the sheet being suitably rigiditied by a longitudinal extending member and suitably braced to the side wall of the car by diaphragms 26. The center dumping doors G are hinged along their upperedges substantially along the bottom edges of the hopper sheets 23 as indicated at The lower edge of the sheet is suitably braced to the centersill by a longitudinally extending member 28. Each pair of doors FG for each hopper when in closed position are preferably adapted to have their lower edges meet as indicated at 29 and also preferably centrally over the rail 30 as idicatcd in Figure 2. For purposes of strength, all of the doors F and G are suitably braced by angles 31 and Z-bars 32 or other suitable commercial structuralshapes.

Ertending lengthwise of the car, and on the outer sides of the hoppers, are operating shafts 33, the latter being adapted to operate the outer set of dumping doors F by n'ieans of flexible connections 34, the latter each having one end conn cted to a winding sheave 35 secured to the corresponding shaft 33 and having the other end secured to the door F. lhe flexible coni'iections 3t. are deflected from a straight line path by means of idler sheaves 36 disposed at opposite ends of the hopper adjacent the respective transverse walls 20 and 21., and in alignment with the winding sheaves secured to the shafts 33.

By referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the side doors are operated independently of each other and of the center doors, shaft being operated by means of a transversely extending shaft 37 having a Worm and gear connection 38 with the shaft 33. The shaft 37 has one end extended to the side of the car and is adapted to be actuated by any suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism as indicated conventionally at 39 in Figure 2. For operating the inner or center dumping doors a longitudinally extending shaft 40 is provided being located between the center sills. Mounted on the shaft tO are a se *ies of sets of winding sheaves l1-4l disposed side by side, extending in opposite directions, to which flexible connections 49 are secured passing through perforations d2 in the center sills and connecting with the rc ective doors G. The flexible connection a e deflected by idler sheaves 44 mounted on the transverse hopper end walls and adjacent to the idler sheaves 3G hercinbefore described. By thus deflecting the flexible con nections from straight line path between the respective shafts and doors a direct pull is obtainable on the doors irrespective of the location of the shafts. At the outer ends of the hoppers said sheaves 36 and 44 are car'- ricd by common pivot 45 which is carried at one end by a bracket 46 depending from the inclined end Wall B of the car, and at the other end by means of a bracket l? disposed on the inner face of the transverse end walls 21. At the inner ends of the hoppers adjacent the central crossbeams two sets of said idler sheaves 36 and are disposed on a common pivot 48 having the opposite ends thereof carried by brackets 4-9 secured to the transverse walls 20 of the crossbeam. Said sets of idler sheaves are separated by means of a ferrule 50. Each flexible connection 3% and 4-2 is connected to the door beneath the same and lengthwise thereof by means of a ad ustable oyebolt 51, said flexible connection extending outwardly from and beyond the side edge of the door to which it is attached, being guided past the same by means of a guide bracket 53 having an opening 52 through which the chain passes the bracket 53 being rigidly secured to the door The shaft 4-0 isadapted to be operated from a cross shaft 54; having one end or both ends extended to the respective sides of the car and there mounted in suitable bear-in r- 525 carried by a bracket plate 56 drpend tron-i the side wall it of the car. The shaft is adapted to be actuated by any suitable "bet mechanism as indie ted conventional b: The worm and gear for the shaft is carried in a housing 58 secured to the center sill of the car, and disposed partly within the same. Said worm and gear is indicated conventionally at 59.

In order to properly divert the ballast or other lading to the desired sides of the rail, I have provided longitudinal diverting members J which extend lengthwise of and beneath the hoppers and which are preferably pivotally mounted as indicated at 30 on smaller fixed diverting members or partitions 61 and constitute extensions thereof. Each said diverting member 61 is preferably of inverted i -shape having oppositely disposed downwardly inclined flanges presenting sheddi g surfaces 62-62. Said member 61 is connected with the transverse end walls of the respective hoppers by means of angles 63 placed back to back and secured to the said Walls and having the interengg ging flanges (S h-6 L of the angles diverging in either side of the member 1 and secured to the respective flanges as indicated at (33. Each said diverting member 5 is so arra ed that it may be held to form a con tinuation of the side door F but on a somewhat lower level and the material is then di-- ertel to the center of the tracli, the divertnlember being held in the desired posinm b connections or chains indicated conwntionally as at 66, said connections being d to the member J, and secured to the I structure by means of hooks (57 secured to the car structure at the sides and also the center of car, or said diverting board J may be turned outward as indicated r do in dotted lines in Figure 2, in which case it will constitute a prolongation of the door G and divert the material to side of the rail when the side door F is opened. Said member l is then supported in such position by means of the connections 66 depending from the hooks 67 carried by the side of the car.

In its preferred form, each member J consists of a metal plate having the margins suitably rigiditied by lianging as indicated at 68, thereby forming a pan-shaped member, and a filling piece of lumber substantially equal in depthto the said flanges is used within said pan whereby a shedding surface is obtained on both sides of the said member. 7

Baflie plates 69 are provided at each'end of the diverting member for the purpose of preventing overflow at the ends of the hoppers and thereby flooding the rail. It will be noted that the positioning of the member J to divert the load in a given direction does not at any time preclude the possibility of opening both doors of a pair at one time and permitting the lading to discharge on both sides of the rail simultaneously, a feature which is advantageous in ballasting, it being often desirable to discharge onboth sides of the rail simultaneously.

Although I have shown herein and described what I now consider the preferred embodiments of my invention, the same is merely descriptive, and I contemplate all changes and modifications as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In a car of the character described, the combination with a car body having longitudinally arranged sets of hoppers on each side of the center sill; of hinged center dumping doors for said hoppers, said doors being hinged on longitudinally extending axes and being movable towards each other in an opening direction to discl'iargethe load between the rails; a longitudinally extending common operating shaft for said doors and located therebetween; flexible connections between the shaft and the respective doors; and means for reversing the direction of the pull between the shaft and the doors to close the doors.

2. In a car of the character described, the combination with a car body having longitudinally extending center sills and a longitudinally arranged hopper on each side thereof, each said hopper having a door hing, adjacent the center sill, said doors of the respective hoppers being movable to wards each other in an opening direction and the pivotal axes of said doors being sub stantially parallel with said operating shaft; of a longitudinally ez ztending operating shaft disposed between the sills; flexible connections between the shafts and the respec tive doors; and means for reversing the direction of the pull between the shaft and the doors for effecting simultaneous closing movement of said doors.

3. In a car of the character described, the combination with a car body having longitudinallyarranged sets of hoppers on each side of the center sill; of a transversely ex tending hollow crossbeam between the ends of adjacent hoppers; hinged center dumping doors for said hoppers, said doors being movable towards each other in an opening direction; a. longitudinally extending operating shaft located between the said doors; guide elements disposed in the said hollow crossbeam and arranged to present guiding surfaces substantially parallel to said shaft, and flexible connections between the shaft and the respective doors, each said flexible connection passing over one of said guide elements.

l. In a car of the class described, the combination with a car body provided with a plurality of longitudinally arranged hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the center sill, each of said hoppers being provided with a pair of door openings for side and center dumping; of a transversely ext-ending hollow member disposed between the ends of adjacent hoppers; doors hinged along their upper edges for closing said openings; at longitudinally extending shaft for operating the center dumping doors simultaneously; longitudinally extending shafts for operating the side dumping doors independently of each other and of the center doors; flexible connections from the doors to their respective operating shafts; and idler pulleys disposed in the transverse member, said pulleys being adapted to delicct the connections from a straight line path.

In a car of the character described, the combination with a car body having a lon gitudinally extending center sill and a longitudinally arranged hopper on each side thereof, each said hopper having a pair of door openings and oppositely swinging doors for closing the same, one of said doors opening inwardly of the car and the other opening outwardly thereof, said doors being hinged at their upper end and inclined downwardly towards each other thus forming four sets of longitudinally extending doors; of transversely extending walls at the ends of said hoppers; three sets of longitudinally extending shafts extending past the said transverse enu walls of the hoppers, one of said shafts being located between the hoppers and the other shafts located re spectively on the outer sides of said hoppers, said central shaft being adapted to operate the inner doors of the respective hoppers in unison, and the outer shafts being adapted to operate the outer doors independently of each other and of the inner doors; connections from each doorto the shaft operating the same, said connections being disposed at the ends of the hopper adjacent the said transverse wall, and sets of two sheaves mounted on a connnon pivot and disposed at each end of the hopper, said sheaves forming means for deflecting the flexible connections from the shafts to the doors, one of the sheaves of each set forming a deflector for the connection with the outer door and the other sheave forming a deflector for the connection with the inner door.

(3.111 a car of the class described, the combination with a car body provided with longitudinally arranged hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the center sills, each hopper comprising oppositely disposed doors hinged at their upper ends and meeting with their tree edges forming a V-shaped hopper having the apex thereoi disposed centrally over the rail; ot diverting boards hinged centrally beneath said hoppers and movable to deflect the entire load either to one side or the other or the rail.

7. In a car of the class described, the combination with a car body provided with longitudinally arranged hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the centersill, each said hopper having the apex thereott' meeting centrally over the rail; ot a member extending longitudinally beneath the apex of the hopper and movable to deflect the load from one side or to the other of the rail; and means for maintaining said member in an inclined position, said means comprising a series of hooks carried by the car body and flexible elements each having one end thereof secured to the swinging edge of the movable member and the opposite end being adapted to be carried by one of said hooks.

8. In a car of the character described, the combination with a car body having a longitudinally extending center sill and a longitudinally arranged hopper disposed on each side thereof, each hopper having a pair of door openings and oppositely swinging doors for closing the same, said doors be-. ing hinged at their upper edges; of an extraneous longitudinally extending diverting partition at the bottom of each hopper; and an extension for said partition movable from one side of the hopper to the other for the purpose of deflecting the load when dumped.

9. In a car or the character described, the combination with a car body having a longitudinally extending center member and a longitudinally extending hopper disposed on each side thereot, each hopper having a pair of door openings and oppositely swinging doors for closing the same, each of said doors being hinged at the upper edge; of an inverted V-shaped diverting member beneath each hopper; and a hinged member carried by said diverting member, and constituting an extension for the same, said member in one position being adapted to deliect the load between the rails and in another position outside'o't the rails.

10. In a car of the class described, the combination with a longitudinally extending hopper having oppositely disposed doors li' 'ed at their upper edges; of an extraneous movable diverting member adapted in one position to divert the entire load to one side of the hopper and in another position to divert the load to the opposite side of said hopper, said diverting member being so arranged as to permit both doors of said hopper to open simultaneously.

11. In a car of the class described, the combination with a car body having a lon gitndinally extending hopper including oppositely disposed doors hinged at their upper edges and inclined downwardly towards each other; of a movable diverting member adapted to be disposed in an inclined position beneath either of the doors whereby the load may be deflected to one side or to the other oi? the hopper; and a battle end plate on the diverting member.

in a car of the class described, the combination with a car body provided with longitudinally arranged hoppers disposed on opposite sides oi the center sill, each said hopper comprising oppositely disposed doors hinged at their upper edges; oi a member extending longitudinally beneath the apex of each hopper and adapted to be positioned to form in one position a continuation of certain of said hopper doors to adapt the car for center dinnping and in another position to form a continuation of the remaining hopper doors to adapt the car tor side dumping.

13. In a car of the class described, the combination with a car body having a. longi tudinally extending hopper defined by i'iransversely extending walls and oppositely disposed doors hinged at their upper edges and inclined downwardly towards each other; of an inverted, substantially V-shape member comprising diverging flange sections disposed beneath the hopper and iongitudinally thereof; and angles secured to each flange of said member, said angles be- 1 ing bent to extend upwardly and secured to the t ansverse walls of the hopper.

14. In a railway car, the combination with girder sides; of a longitudinal center sill; transversely extending gusset members secured to the car sides; a, vertical member extending across the plane oi? the center sill and secured thereto and connecting the inner ends of said transverse gusset members, said vertical member terminating an appreciable distance from each side wall of the car; and inclined shedding plates secured to both the gusset plate and to the vertical member, said shedding members being also secured to the gusset plate independently of messes 2'1;

the vertical member and to the vertical member independently of the gusset plate.

l5. In a car of the class described, the combination with a car body having a plurality of longitudinally arranged sets of hop pers on each side of the center sill, each set of hoppers being defined by a pair of longitudinally extending doors hinged at their upper edges and inclined downwardly towards each other and a transverse vertical wall at each end thereof, said transverse vertical walls intermediate the adjacent ends of the hopper forming portions of a trans versely extending crossbeam; of an invert.- ed V-shaped diverting member disposed beneath each hopper and extending beyond the said transverse walls thereof; and a pair of angle members placed back to back and secured to said transverse walls, said angles being extended downwardly and diverging to opposite sides of the diverting member and secured thereto.

16. In a car, the combination with a dump door; of an operating shaft, a flexible connection extending between the shaft and the door, said connection being adjustably secured to the door lengthwise thereof and projecting beyond the side edge thereof; and a bracket secured to the door near the edge thereof, said bracket having a hole therein through which the said flexible con-- nection extends.

17. In a car of the class described, the combination with a car body provided with longitudinally arranged l-shaped hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the center sills, of aswinging diverting member extending longitudinally beneath the hopper, said member being formed of a metallic plate having rigidifying marginal flanges forming a panlike structure and av filling member of wood disposed within the said pan providing for shedding surfaces on either side of said diverting member.

18. In a car of the class described, the combination with a car body provided with longitudinally arranged hoppers disposed 011 opposite sides of the center sill, each of said hoppers being provided with door openings for side and center dumping; of doors hinged along their upper edges, for closing said openings; a longitudinally extending shaft for operating the center doors simultaneously; and means for operating the side dumping doors independently of the center doors.

In witness that I claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto subscribed my name this 2d day of May 1924.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL. 

